Connector device



'June 29, 1948. I LE ROY "r; MILLER 2,444,058

I CONNECTOR DEVICE Filed May 14, 1946 Patented June 29, i948 PATENT OFFICE 2344,058 coNNiie-ToR DEViCE temy'rafiiiier;'Bursana'cnm a lication-dimple; 1946,'Serial-l\lo.-669;62

2'j'filai nis." (c1. teassay This invention relates to a connector device and is particularly useful in j rolled sections in end to-endfrelationshipl 1s invention flnds particular useiulness as in a -railjoint; in connectinglthe-ends of railroad rails in operative position. k I

The principal object of inventiomis to pro-y vide; a novel connectio'n device of this-type which will; provide-a jointhaving no initi al looseness and wl'iich= will maintain initial tightness under; vibratiom and repeated-i stresses in order that looseness and consequent wear" may not-develop;-

the splice plates for the purpose of maintainingthesplice plates against d fiection or looseness.

Giilier objects and advantages will appear-there- In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a rail joint embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on a plane normal to the rail axis and passing through one of the bolts shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating details of one of the split sleeves employed in connection with this embodiment of my invention.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view through a conventional form of a rail joint showing the efiects of looseness and wear which develop after a period of use. It will be noted that wear on the bolt is confined to the regions of contact with the rail and with the splice plates.

Referring to the drawings, the rail joint shown in Figure 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment of this invention, but it is to be understood that the broader aspects of the invention apply equally well to apparatus for joining any rolled, extruded or formed sections, such as I-beams, channels, etc.

The embodiments shown in Figures 1 and 2 include rail ends l and l l meeting in end-to-end relationship at the juncture l2 and are shaped to provide with the under surfaces l5 of the railhead I!) and the tapered surface It on the rail flange H.

The web l8, connecting the railhead I0 and ,the rail flang I1, is provided with a plurality of iningl; together slots leiexten ing longitudinally of the ran: tending transversewniraueh"each ofjthes'e' SlbtS 19 is a tension bowie havihg'fanut 21 threaded thereon; Tapered apertures 22fand23 are'pr'o vided in the-splice platesl and Miri' alignment" A one-piece split" tapered sleeve 24" is adapted to be "received within each of the" tapered apertures Hand 23. Thes'leeves 2 4 are"jprovided with a rrus to-conical outer surface adaptedto mate with the taperedapertures" 22 ahd23" and a central cylindrical bore 26" adapted" to closely f fit the cylindrical shank? 2136a the bolt" 29'. p The sleeves 2 4 are provided with" a; single" slot extehdirfgloh'gitiidinally between the parallel ends 29a"n'd 30f."" I

I From this description", it will behhdefstdod thatupo'ri'threadingthe nut 21' upon the bolt 20; the" sleeves 24 are confined between the nut '2 l" andthejboltheadtll and; therefore; upon "con"- tinued threading-of" the nut" relative to"the'"bolt, the sleeves" 2'4 areseated under-compression withinthe'apertures 22 a'n'd 23;" This aetijn serves to set up] compressive stresses i'n' the sleeves '24 "and 'h'efice causes them to reduce slightlyin diameter, thereby grippingthe shank 21 of the bolt in rigid engagement. The bolt 20, nut 2| and sleeves 24, therefore, cooperate with the tapered apertures 22 and 23 to provide a transverse stifiening element adapted to resist independent bending and twisting motion of either of the splice plates [3 or M.

The advantages of the transverse stifiener construction just described are emphasized by comparison with a conventional rail joint construction illustrated in Figure 4. In the latter arrangement the splice plates l3 and M are initially maintained in assembled relation with respect to the railhead It] and rail flange IT by the tension bolt Mi and nut 21 In this conventional arrangement the apertures 22 and 23 in the splice plates are approximately cylindrical but do not fit with any degree of accuracy on the cylindrical shank 2'! of the bolt 29 The result is that after a period of service looseness, which is present between the shank 2'! of the bolt and the apertures 22 and 23 permits relative twisting, bending and deflections between the splice plates I3 and M Locomotives now in service may weigh as much as four hundred tons and the deflections in the rail and splice plates, when the assembly is subjected to extremely heavy rolling loads of this character, eventually result in objectional wear at the locations labeled A, B, and C as shown in Figure 4,

Examination of rail joint tension bolts of conventional form after a period of use has shown that wear at these locations becomes progressively and increasingly more pronounced over a period of time. Eventually the wear develops clearances of such an extent that the splice plates I3 and I l are no longer maintained in pressure contact with the railhead I and rail flange H After the wear has reached thisstage, the rail joint must be replaced since the rail ends are no longer adequately supported.

Referring again to the improved rail joint embodying my invention, it will be apparent that the tapered apertures 22 and 23 and the cooperating tapered split sleeves 24 provide a more rigid connection between the splice plates 13 and M, in effect, constitute a rigid stiffener joining the splice plates and requir'mg them to deflect under load as a unit. Periodic tightening by the track maintenance crew serves to maintain the compression stresses in the splice plates adjacent to the apertures, inthe sleeves 24, and in the shank 21 of the bolt 29, thereby effectively preventing looseness and consequent wear.

Having fully described my invention, it is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the details herein set forth, but my invention is of the full scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for connecting elongated rail members end-to-end comprising in combination a pair of side elements positioned substantially parallel with said rail members in lateral contact therewith and extending across the junction at the adjacent ends of the rail members,.plural means for clamping each of the rail members between the side elements, each of said means including aligned tapered apertures formed in the sile elements, a tension bolt provided with a shank a head and a threaded portion extending transversely through an opening in the elongated rail member and through said tapered apertures, a one-piece split tapered sleeve received within each taperedaperture and provided with a bore closely fitting'the shank of the tension bolt with at least a portionof each sleeve surrounding the shank of the bolt, and a nut threaded on the bolt adapted to seat the split tapered sleeves in the tapered apertures under compression between it and the bolt head and thereby grip the shank of the bolt, whereby the side elements are rigidly held against relative deflection.

2. In a device for connecting end-to-end elongated rail members having a cross section defined by spaced transverse portions connected by a relatively thin web section, the combination of a pair of side elements positioned substan' tially parallel with said rail members and in contact with said transverse portions of the rail members, said side elements extending across the junction at the adjacent ends of the members,

plural means for clamping each of the rail members between the side elements, each of said means including aligned tapered apertures formed in the side elements, a tension bolt provided with a cylindrical shank ahead and a threaded portion extending transversely through an openingin the elongated member and through said tapered apertures, a one-piece split tapered sleeve received within each tapered aperture and provided with a cylindrical bore closely fitting the shank of the tension bolt with at least a portion of each sleeve surrounding the shank of the bolt, a nut threaded on the bolt adapted to seat the split tapered sleeves under compression to grip the shank between it and the bolt head, the tension bolt, split sleeves and nut cooperating to provide a unitary stiffener member adapted to resist relative deflection of the side elements.

' LE ROY T. MILLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are 'of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,199,743 Gadd Sept. 26, 1916 1,257,708 I-Iyle et al Feb. 26, 1918 2,607,273 Hecht NOV. 16, 1926 

